An embodiment of a method for producing traceable integrated circuits includes forming on a wafer of semiconductor material functional regions for implementing specific functionalities of corresponding integrated circuits, forming at least one seal ring around each functional region of the corresponding integrated circuit, and forming on each integrated circuit at least one marker indicative of information of the integrated circuit. Forming on each integrated circuit at least one marker may include forming the at least one marker on at least a portion of the respective seal ring that is visible.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An integrated circuit, comprising: a surface area delimited by edges; a functional region for implementing specific functionalities of the integrated circuit; at least one seal ring spaced apart from the edges and disposed around the functional region, wherein the at least one seal ring comprises a metal layer having a thickness, an inner perimeter edge, and an outer perimeter edge; and at least one marker indicative of information of the integrated circuit, wherein said at least one marker comprises at least one removed portion in a top surface of said metal layer of the respective seal ring, the at least one marker visible from outside of the integrated circuit, the at least one removed portion forming a groove having a depth that is less than said thickness, and the groove is positioned in between and away from the inner perimeter edge and the outer perimeter edge.
2. The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the at least one removed portion defines a round indentation.
3. The integrated circuit of claim 2 , wherein the round indentation is covered with paint and sealed with a passivation layer.
4. An integrated circuit die, comprising: a surface area delimited by edges; a peripheral structure spaced apart from the edges, wherein the peripheral structure is bounded by an outer perimeter edge and an inner perimeter edge, the peripheral structure comprising a metal layer having a thickness; and a mark disposed in a top portion of the metal layer of the peripheral structure in between and separate from the outer and inner perimeter edges, said mark having a depth less than said thickness and representing information about the integrated circuit die.
5. The integrated circuit die of claim 4 wherein the peripheral structure is a seal ring.
6. The integrated circuit die of claim 4 wherein the mark is a groove forming an indentation into the top surface of the metal layer.
7. The integrated circuit die of claim 6 wherein the mark includes paint disposed in the indentation in the top surface of the metal layer.
8. The integrated circuit die of claim 4 wherein the mark includes an unaltered portion of the top surface of the metal layer.
9. The integrated circuit die of claim 4 further comprising a protrusion of the inner perimeter edge of the peripheral structure.
10. The integrated circuit die of claim 9 wherein the protrusion has a top surface parallel to the top surface of the peripheral structure.
11. The integrated circuit die of claim 10 , wherein the protrusion has a surface perpendicular to the top surface of the peripheral structure.
12. The integrated circuit die of claim 4 , wherein the mark represents unique information about the integrated circuit die with respect to any other die.
13. An integrated circuit, comprising: a die delimited by edges, a peripheral structure spaced apart from the edges and having a surface in a peripheral area of the die, wherein the peripheral structure is bounded by an outer perimeter edge and an inner perimeter edge and comprises a metal layer having a thickness; and a mark disposed in a top portion of the metal layer of the peripheral structure in between and away from the outer and inner perimeter edges, said mark representing information about the die, and said mark having a depth less than said thickness of the metal layer.
14. The integrated circuit of claim 13 , wherein the peripheral structure is a seal ring surrounding a functional region.
15. A system, comprising: a die delimited by edges, the die including: a peripheral seal ring structure spaced apart from the edges and having a top surface, wherein the peripheral seal ring structure is bounded by an outer perimeter edge and an inner perimeter edge and comprises a plurality of separate metal layers; and a mark disposed in a top portion of a top metal layer of the plurality of separate metal layers of the peripheral seal ring structure, not protruding through the top metal layer, and in between and away from the outer and inner perimeter edges and representing information about the die.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein the mark comprises a pattern identifying a location of the die in a wafer.
17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the mark represents information about the die with respect to any other die.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
July 29, 2011
December 29, 2015
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